Childminder in Trafford

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY361931 Inspection date 21/10/2011 Inspector Sue Birkenhead

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Type of setting Childminder to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the childminding

The childminder was registered in 2007 and works with an assistant at times. The childminder lives with her husband and two children aged ten and eight years in Timperley area of Altrincham, close to shops, parks, schools and pre-schools. The whole of the ground floor and the bathroom on the first floor are used for childminding purposes. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The family have gerbils and a cat.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for six children at any one time when minding alone or working with her assistant. There are currently 10 children on roll aged from one 16 months eight years or over, of whom four are in the early years age group. All children attend on a part time basis.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder runs the local toddler group and pre-school group that all come under the umbrella of 'The Ark Childcare Service'. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and has a National Vocational Qualification level 3 in childcare, learning and development and a level 4 qualification in Early Year's Childhood studies.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder has an excellent understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and different ways children learn as a result of the professional training she completes. Children's individual care and learning needs are exceptionally well met through excellent partnerships between parents, children and other providers. Consequently, they make excellent progress towards the early learning goals. Children are extremely happy and secure within the outstanding, inclusive and welcoming environment where safeguarding and their sense of belonging is given high priority. Highly effective systems for self-evaluation support the childminder's passion and high aspirations for quality, continuous improvement and better outcomes for children.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 extending further written number as labels in the outdoor play area.

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the early years provision

The childminder gives high priority to the protection of all children, extending her knowledge through the different stages of the safeguarding training she attends. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 She clearly understands the indicators of abuse and procedures for reporting concerns reflected in the comprehensive safeguarding policy. The extensive and highly effective risk assessments refer to the control measures in place for reducing risks to children. Her priority to children's safety is impressive and many superb initiatives extend children's understanding of safe practice. For example, they practice emergency evacuation very regularly and when walking to and from school have their own hi-visibility vests. The childminder is extremely well organised in her approach to record-keeping. As a result, a wealth of accurate information is recorded and consistently shared with parents. She is extremely

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the early years provision

committed to extending her professional knowledge by attending various training and is near to completion of the Early Years degree course. Since her last inspection she has become a Network Accredited childminder. She is extremely passionate about her role and her excellent commitment to the continuous development of her service to promote better outcomes for children is clear to see. The childminder uses many systems which actively contribute to the very effective self-evaluation process which include the Ofsted self-evaluation form, training she attends and consultation with the Early Years Development officer and fellow childminders. Action plans outline aspects for future development which are set against realistic timescales.

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the early years provision

The many outstanding initiatives for exchanging information with parents include the very impressive newsletters they receive, which incorporate children's achievements, events and activities. The 'comments, compliments and complaints form' provide opportunities for parents to share their views, which are greatly valued. As a result, 'My Box' was introduced for storing personal belongings. Parents complete a comprehensive document which details children's developmental starting points on entry to the setting. They receive a detailed account of the Early Years Foundation Stage to support their understanding. Their child's learning journey is shared with them every three months to which they can contribute, therefore actively engaging them in their children's continuous learning. In addition, the 'travelling teddy bear' promotes very effective home links and continues to monitor the children's 'journey of life' involving parents. Highly

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the early years provision

effective links develop with other settings children attend. As a result, a complimentary approach to children's learning is fostered. Consequently, excellent relationships support the consistent approach to children's care and learning with all involved in their life. Extremely positive comments parents make in the questionnaires outline how extremely happy they are with care and education children receive and describe the setting as 'excellent'.

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and outcomes for children

Children are extremely confident, secure and very happy in the care of the experienced childminder, where their individuality is clearly valued. The superb deployment of resources, the topic table and vast amount of information on display contributes to the welcoming setting and strongly supports the children's sense of belonging and effective learning. The childminder has an excellent understanding of the learning and development requirements and how young children learn and progress. Her highly effective interaction motivates children and sustains their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 interest. As a result, they play a dynamic role in their learning and offer their ideas and respond to challenges with enthusiasm. For example, children instigate the 'beetle club', which develops into the study of insects and involves visitors to the setting to extend their understanding of mini beasts. They show high levels of

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and outcomes for children

independence, imagination and concentration. The very effective planning of activities supports the enjoyable, challenging experiences and provides an excellent balance of adult-led and child-initiated opportunities across all areas of learning. Their next steps in learning are clearly used to inform future individual planning. The extremely comprehensive individual 'learning journals' and supporting documents contain purposeful observations, and regular assessments reflect the excellent progress children's make towards the early learning goals.

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and outcomes for children

The very many excellent, worthwhile learning opportunities enable children to make outstanding progress in the development of their future skills. They attend many local groups to promote the development of their social skills, and weekly attendance at the 'stretch and grow' sessions supports the development of their physical skills. Children engage in local events, such as entering the pictures of the birds they draw into the garden centre competition. Children have access to a wide range of resources and engage in numerous activities and experiences, which help them to value diversity and learn respect for others. They actively learn about recycling and the effects it has on the environment as they make models from discarded household items and discuss putting their banana skin in 'the worm bin'. They show an active interest in the natural world as they plant fruit and vegetables in the garden, which they harvest to eat. They study the lifecycle of the butterfly,

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and outcomes for children

use resources, such as magnifying glasses, which children say 'make them look bigger', and eventually release them into the wild. Many opportunities support the children's early literacy and hand-writing skills, for example, the extensive range of books readily available, mark-making materials indoors and outside, which include coloured ribbons on sticks. The childminder is inspirational in writing her own stories to promote disability, safeguarding and bullying, to which children contribute. They give meaning to marks and pictures they create, such as the 'Alien', which the childminder labels. Children engage in many worthwhile opportunities to promote their creativity, using extensive unique resources. For example, they decorate outdoors with discarded wheel trims they paint. The environment is rich in imaginary play, including the tent outdoors, the home corner created in the shed, the role play area under the stairs and a wide range of

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and outcomes for children

dressing-up materials. Extremely good emphasis is given to increasing children's understanding of number, shape and problem-solving through everyday experiences and activities. However, there is little reference to written number in the outdoor play area. Children's understanding of basic technology from a young age is promoted really well. They have access to the digital camera for taking photographs, use the computer and interactive resources.

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and outcomes for children

Highly effective routines in place promote children's personal health and hygiene as part of the daily routine. They are confident to explain the times they wash their hands following the time line on display. Also, they explain that 'if you don't wash your hands germs can get into your mouth and tummy which can make you sick'. The childminder's extremely positive approach to the provision of a healthy balanced diet means children demonstrate an excellent understanding of healthy eating and make healthy choices at snack and meal times. The 'being healthy box' This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 of resources is used effectively to share stories, complete puzzles and discuss aspects of a healthy lifestyle in a fun way. Consequently, children recall foods that are good for them as well as identify less healthy foods. This increases their understanding of the positive effects healthy foods/drinks, physical exercise and

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and outcomes for children

hygiene procedures have on their overall well-being. Very regular praise and sharing children's achievements contributes effectively to the management of their behaviour. As a result, they behave well, respect house rules and develop their self-esteem and confidence. Children safely use a range of tools and equipment within the setting and know how to handle these in order to keep safe, for example, scissors. Their understanding of safety issues and how they demonstrate this is exceptional. For example, they say they feel safe and, when asked why, they think for a while and impressively refer to the bag of animals. They recall the purpose of the different animals associated with staying safe. For example, 'Tommy tiger teaches us not to talk to strangers,Nelly the elephant keeps us safe and tells us what to do if there is a fire and Georgina giraffe teaches children to be safe on the roads'. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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